France in review
If you can draw yourself away from the pleasures of the palate, France is also an incredible place to feast the eyes. From the thousand-year-old architecture on the rocky Mont Saint-Michel outcrop in Normandy to the magnificent 440-room Renaissance chateau of Chambord in the Loire Valley, this truly is the country of castles and cathedrals.The sumptuous Palace of Versailles was Louis XIV's seat of absolute power from 1682. You can lose yourself in the glittering Mirror Room, a 75m-long reception hall opening out on to the gardens with 17 large windows, the panels of which contain 578 mirrors.
Travelling is easy in France as hotels are everywhere, for the French are well aware of the treasures in their care and the rest of the world's enduring desire to visit.
- From our editor A.Steenbhom – United States